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Once someone gets a chance to fly an Emong, that has also flown the Wala / Aerobe would like to hear about the difference in flight characteristics of the two (three if you also consider the XL). Why, where and when would I fly which?

I have an Aerobe and an yet unflown Wala XL.

thanks,

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ericforum member since 04/21/2001and still can't fly like those darn videos

I have Wala's of every colour... love 'em. I've started an indoor flying group here and we all fly Wala's... I think they fly best indoors with tails. We use 8 - 10' tails attached to the end of the keel. I also have a Wala XL (which just developed a broken upper keel rod) which flies very nicely indoors... glides like a big cloud at the height of the room. I haven't got an Emong .. yet.

I haven't flown any of the xUL single lines. I have the Blue Moon 61/49 but I'm mostly a dual guy. I flew a little iFlite that RobB sells on his site and really liked it. The video Steve's got of the Emong looked neat so I decided to pull the trigger. I need something for those days that the dual SULs have trouble flying.

I had the great pleasure of flying the Emong prototype (Black/Yellow) sail, so here's my take on the Wala vs Emong:

Design/form: The Wala displays the classic "wings" for most glider kites, it is a nose heavy, curved spine (adjustable) kite that has a short glide distance with SLACK line.Emong on the other hand has a radical sail design, tapered solid carbon rod (probably a first in this category) for leading edge. This allows for a better weight distribution, with most of the weight bearing towards the front and lesser at the trailing edge. The Emong is probably one of the sexiest glider kites in terms of design and form factor.

Flight characteristics: While the Wala is able to achieve Back-Flips or Loops, ability to fly in a more aggressive style, it is unable to achieve good slack line glide distance. Even with the spine tension adjusted for less curve, the glide distance cannot be compared to the Emong's. However, the Wala remains one of my favorite for its ability of perform loops and flat-spins at a distance.

The Emong's slack line glides makes it a pleasure to fly. With practice, one can learn to snag a wing tip on the flying line and perform "helicopter like" spins! Its radical sail design is guaranteed to cause double-takes from spectators. It has been flown in windless condition outdoors to great heights and line released/slacken to allow for free long distance glides, it is an awesome feeling.

Overall, both the Wala and Emong have their distinctive fun factors and in my opinion, BOTH are must-haves for the avid no-wind pilots.

I like the emong more than anything else i have ever gotten from FW....flies much better...handles gusts better....it is a dedicated low wind kite though...i imagine that someone out there will want to stick a tail on it eventually....

I was told that I have to wait for Father's Day to take it out of the bag. But the bag LOOKS nice! Take a look at Rob's picture to see what it looks like. The sleeve for the 61/49 is pretty small too but I kept track of how I unfolded it so that I could get it back into the sleeve. I'll watch the Emong too. I'm REALLY looking forward to those no-wind days!

my issue with the bag is:the material is thick and unforgiving....the bag is not a simple straight tube, it has a funky cut out shape to it...the width of the bag is just barely bigger than the kite so it is a fight ot get it to slide in....the flap to close it does not have enough velcro to make it adjustable....either you get the tab or you do not....

I agree with all the aforementioned analyses, except the bag part. (haven't tried putting it back in yet so I don't know 8 ) I feel that in the higher gusts that I rarely get in the front yard, the kite wants to go nose forward once it hits it's apex, and a tail (s) is probably the only way to get it stable.........which will make the kite unusable for gliding. Strictly, IMO, a great no wind glider and totally agree with Rob's "I like it more than anything else from FW".

One major plus, for me is that I would have no problem with letting my 4 year old grandson, a rookie, I might add, fly the E. The way the nose is designed, I think the only way it could be broken would be to step on it. Semi-serious plants on the rounded and shock absorbing leading edges would not harm it, unlike the Walas and the Liama. The Liama is probably the most vulnerable to damage with part of the leading edge having no framing........gliding the Liama into trees and fences would more than likely ruin the sail.

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